Tag Archives: love

12 Pearls of Christmas: Love by Lauraine Snelling

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Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom”! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL … there’s also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls – a tangible reminder of God’s grace to us all.

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Love
by Lauraine Snelling

When asked to write a Christmas message, one of my first thoughts was Do I climb up on my soapbox regarding changing the words in Christmas songs, using only holiday, etc. I thought about it and decided no. After all, they’re only words and what difference does a word make—really make after all?

Then I kept on thinking. If they’re only words… But we as writers know the power of words, as do readers. When the wrong word is used, it jars, while the right word can be most powerful. Take one highly overused and under practiced word—Love. Four letters is all. We toss it around so glibly, saying love ya and luv and love. But think about the power in I love you. Three of the most precious words in our language when put together. Those of us who write romances or books with romance in them, understand the power when one of our characters tells another, I love you. As humans we can never hear that enough or too much.

Christmas is about love. The greatest love story ever told, that of God for us humans, and it never changes. Customs change, politics change, the years change but God’s love never, ever does. At Christmas we are invited to share that love, to give it away, to pass it around. To find wonder again and joy in simple acts of love. We make contact with people we might never see or talk with through the year. That says I love you. We buy and make gifts to give, we reach out to strangers in need, we try to make sure everyone has a special dinner and every child a present. By giving, we receive.

So, let’s use the power words, but more so, put feet on those words and pass the love around. Let’s look for and find the wonder, the joy and the peace, maybe in small bits and pieces and perhaps in an avalanche of blessings. Make your days brighter with the simple gift of a smile, a kind word, a touch, for every single one that you give away, will come back to you multiplied. As you give, so shall you receive. Merry Christmas my friends. May we all recognize our blessings—-and let an attitude of gratitude permeate this holiday and every day. With love and joy on this day, Lauraine!

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About Lauraine: Lauraine Snelling is the award-winning author of more than sixty books, with sales of over 2 million copies. She also writes for a wide range of magazines, and helps others reach their writing dreams by teaching at writer’s conferences across the country. Lauraine and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, and live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a cockatiel named Bidley, and a watchdog Basset named Chewy.

For more information please visit Lauraine’s website: www.laurainesnelling.com.

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A three strand pearl necklace will be given away on New Year’s Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is {FILL OUT THIS QUICK ENTRY FORM}. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog (http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com) on New Years Day!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

Remembering Why You Fell in Love

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Join me at Wedded Bliss as I tell the story of how I met my husband.

I would love to sit with each one of our readers here and listen to your special story. The story of how you met your significant other. Let me share how I met Tadd. There is a quote that says, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” This was true when it came to meeting the love of my life. (click over here to read more)

Five Things to Teach Your Kids – Part 5 (last one)

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parentsI began a series on the five basic principles that should be taught in the home. These principles can only be reinforced in church or school, but the model of what they learn comes from home.

First principle was the principle of love
Second principle of justice.
Third is the principle of respect.
Fourth is the principle of honesty.
Lastly, and possibly the most important is the principal of forgiveness.

I have mentioned before that the Lord likes to teach me in object lessons. I can not teach or share in a devotion or even on this blog if I have not had a taste of the struggle. I think that is one of the more difficult things about sharing God’s word, in order for you to really believe what you are saying God makes it real by allowing you to go through that struggle a little bit. Forgiveness has been a struggle I have experience for over a year. I never knew I struggled with this or at least the Lord allowed me to see some hidden areas of my heart.

Almost a year to today I shared with you my journey to forgiveness from the pain caused by a pastor. I wish I could tell you after sharing that post all was forgiven and life goes on. As I shared at the end, “I will be the first to tell you [forgiveness] can be a difficult journey;” and I am here to say it is STILL a difficult journey. Satan took that situation and sifted my heart. This has nothing to do with what happened it had to do with me letting go of my feelings of anger, disappointment, and hurt.

Then the Lord even brought it in closer. Just yesterday I had two incidents that really hurt my feelings, left me crying. Even though I did not do any wrong in either situation, the Lord said I just need you to forgive. You know what I said, “Father there are so many other areas I struggle with, why do we need to add to the list!!” The Lord quietly reminded me, “Daughter so you realize that I am with you and only through ME can you forgive, not on your own power.”

I ask you is there ever a human relationship that a time does not come when you have to say, “I’m sorry.”

You hear the saying that you should forgive and forget, I suggest you should forgive and forgo judgment and retribution. There are just some things in life you can not forget!

How often do you forgive?

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matt 18:21-22)

How do our children learn to forgive? By watching their parents forgive. I had great examples from my parents, I hurt my parents pretty bad in college. In return all I ever felt was love and acceptance. So easily the reaction could have been “this is not how I raised you,” they had justification for their anger. But honestly I don’t even think it entered their mind. So today I am stand as the last person on this earth to withhold forgiveness from anyone and the only reason I know I can do that is because it was modeled for me.
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This concludes five things to teach your kids IN THE HOME! Yes these principles overlap each other, but each one carry its own weight. Your kids can not be taught these principles in school or EVEN in church. These have to come directly from parents or caregivers. We as a society are struggling because some of these principles are not being reinforced. Parenting is the hardest job anyone will ever have; one moment it will bring you to your knees before the Lord and have you singing from the mountain tops the next.

Deuteronomy 4:9-10 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.”